Hollow-wall drawer



1966 L. E. HIMELREICH 3,

HOLLOW-WALL DRAWER Filed July 23 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LOU \S E. HlMELRE \CH ATTORNEY Nov. 1, 1966 E, HIMELREICH 3,282,635

HOLLOW-WALL DRAWER Filed July 23 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 57 I INVENTOR 5 LQUIS E. H\MELREICH 5e 7=== Q79 BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,282,635 HOLLOW-WALL DRAWER Louis E. Himelreich, Louisville, Ky., assiguor to H. J. Scheirich Company, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Filed July 23, 1965, Ser. No. 474,264 Claims. (Cl. 312-214) This invention relates to drawers for use in fumiture, kitchen cabinets or the like and more particularly to a hollow-wall drawer which may be formed from extruded materials.

In copending application, Serial No. 382,444 assigned to the same assignee as the present application and in which earlier application I am a joint inventor, there is disclosed an invention jointly employing extruded and molded drawer sections. In contrast therewith, the walls of the drawer of this invention may he formed entirely of an extrusion with a concomitant saving in inventories of material and also resulting in a finished drawer, each of whose walls have substantially equal strength.

An object of this invention is to provide a reinforced hollow-wall drawer having separated interior spaces in its walls and through which fastening means for guides, handles, front panels or the like may 'be passed without impairing the strength of the drawer.

Another object is to provide a hollow-wall drawer having an improved mounting of the floor of the drawer.

Another object is to provide a hollow-wall drawer having corners reinforced in an improved manner.

A further object is to provide a drawer having hollowwa'lls formed of plastic and with vents for dissipating fumes produced in the assembly of the drawer.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds and when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view partly broken away and showing one form of drawer embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1 and with the drawer floor omitted.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views similar to FIG. 2 and showing walls for drawers of different depths.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a corner brace.

FIG. 6 is an end view of the brace shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a corner showing a modified arrangement for assembling the walls of the drawer.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view in plan showing another corner arrangement for assembling the walls of the drawer, and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view in plan showing still another arrangement for assembling the walls of the drawer.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the drawer comprises a pair of side members 10 and 11, -a rear member 12, a front member 13, and a floor member 14. The floor member is of rectangular planar construction and may be made of a suitable material such as Wood, metal pressed board, or other material cut to the proper shape. The members forming the sides and ends of the drawer, however, are formed from an extrusion such as plastic or metal. When plastic, which is preferred, is so employed, suclh plastic may be of the thermo-setting type such as'a polyester resin; for example, a medium or high impact polystyrene; or polyvinyl chloride, or other conventional plastic which can be bonded to itself and which can be adhered to the floor member and to corner braces by means of a suitable adhesive.

As best shown in FIG. 2 the extrusion for use with Patented Nov. 1, 1966 a drawer of medium depth comprises an inner wall portion 15 and an outer wall portion 16. Adjacent the upper and lower edges of these wall portions they are joined to each other by a top portion 17 and by a bottom. portion 18. If exterior recesses at the top and bottom of the walls should be required, as for use with guides in a cabinet opening, such can be provided without departing from the invention, and merely by offsetting of the top and bottom portions inboard of such edges. However, it is preferred to locate the top and bottom portions as shown.

Beneath the top portion 17, and preferably defining an upper space 19 of generally square cross-section, is an integral web 20 extending between the inner and outer wall portions. Likewise, above the bottom portion 18, and preferably defining a lower space 21 of generally square cross-section, and of the same size as space 19, is an integral lower web 22 extending between the wall portions. Intermediate integral webs 23 and 24 defining an intermediate space 25 and located generally centrally of the height of the drawer are also provided. Each of the described webs acts as a reinforcing truss and strengthens the drawer when it is assembled, as later to be described.

Extending upwardly from the lower web 22 is a short web 26 merging into a transverse web 27 which is integral with the inner-wall portion 15 and which serves to define a recess 28 facing the interior of the drawer. This recess is adapted to receive both a suitable adhesive and the peripheral edge of the floor member 14 and may have a beveled edge 29 to assist in the mounting of that floor member. As will be noted, a substantial part of the upper surface of the lower web 22 serves as the lower face of the recess with the result that the periphery of the floor is supported upon a box-like frame which efficient-ly resists deflection under the loading of the contents of the drawer.

In manufacturing .a drawer from the above-described extrusion it will be understood that the several wall members are cut from a single elongated extrusion and are so shaped at their ends as to abut against complementary ends of adjacent members and to provide rightangle corners for the drawer. This may take the form of cutting the wall members on a simple 45 bevel as seen in FIG. 1, or with other configurations as later to be described.

When out on the simple bevel, it frequently is desirable to reinforce the corners of the drawer and the invention provides an improved corner brace for insertion in such corners. Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, a suitable -corner brace comprises a rigid L-shaped member formed of plastic and having right-angle legs 30* and 31 each of which embodies a cruciform cross section. In this construction the side ribs 32, 33 are shaped to contact the inner surfaces of the respective outer wall 16 and inner wall 15 of the assembled drawer elements when occupying either space 19 or space 21 therein. Also the side ribs 34, 35 are shaped to contact the inner surface of top portion 17 and of the upper web 20 when occupying space 19, or to contact the inner surface of lower web 22 and of bottom portion 18 when occupying the lower space 21. It also is contemplated that the intermediate space 25 will be of the same size as spaces 19 and 21 and that the corner braces may be used therein whenever desired. By employing a cruciform shape of brace, adequate space is present between adjacent ribs to accommodate the adhesive and to provide for press fitting of the brace into the respective ends of the extruded and beveled members. Also the space between the ribs of the brace can communicate with vents later to be ded: scribed when it is desired to communicate the interior of the hollow walls with the atmosphere.

In assembling the drawer, one or more corner braces at each of the four corners may be coated with adhesive and inserted in the appropriate spaces, the recess 28 likewise being coated with adhesive and with the fioor member 14 being engaged in the recesses about its periphery. The juxtaposed parts are then mounted in a jig with the beveled ends of the sides, rear, and front members abutting against each other; and preferably by means of a conventional heating mechanism which effects the bonding of the plastic wall members to each other and the adhering of the fioor and corner braces to such members, the drawer is then formed into a unitary structure. Other methods for unifying the parts, for example, supersonic vibration, may also be employed.

After forming the basic drawer, various accessories may be added thereto if desired and as seen in FIG. 1, a conventional bracket 44 carrying a roller 41 at its upper end is mounted centrally of the back member 12, which has a cross-section as illustrated by FIG. 2. This bracket is affixed to the drawer by means of fastening means such as bolts or screws 42, 43. The upper fastening 42 extends through the upper space 19 and the lower fastening 43 extends through the intermediate space 25 of the back member and upon being tightened against theexterior surfaces of the wall portions 15 and 16 a rigid construction is effected. As will be noted, the above-described webs 20, 23 and 24 help to resist distortion of the back member 12 when loading is later applied to the drawer through the interaction of the bracket assembly and the cabinet guide on which the roller travels.

When the front of the drawer is to have a special exterior facing such as a wooden front piece 44, that piece may be attached by pairs of fastenings 45, 46 and 47, 48. The upper fastenings in this case extend through the upper space 19 and the lower fastenings extend through the lower space 21 of the front member 13, and likewise that front member thus is not subjected to distortion in view of the presence of the several reinforcing webs above described.

In carrying out the invention, drawers having different depths can be made merely by varying the cross section of the extrusions employed. For example, a shallow drawer may be made from the extrusion seen in FIG. 3 and which is provided with an upper space 19A and a lower space 21A adapted to receive the above-described corner brace. In this modification a single intermediate web 24A is employed for reinforcement between the top and bottom portions of the wall. For use in a deep drawer, an extrusion such as seen in FIG. 4 may be used. Here the usual upper and lower spaces 19B and 21B are used and in addition two intermediate spaces 25B and 25C are employed, all of these spaces being adapted to receive the corner brace.

Although it is preferred to employ corner braces of the type described, the invention in its broader aspects does not require the same, particularly when the plastic being employed can give a secure bonding of the several wall parts at the corners, at the time of assembly of the drawer. By suitable mortises, a secure interlocking of the ends of the parts can frequently be secured and as shown in FIG. 7 one such arrangement comprises the cutting of the end of one extrusion, for example, side Wall 11, with transverse recesses into which fingers 50 and 51 of the end of the adjacent back member 12 are adapted to fit, that back member also having a recess into which a finger 52 of the side wall also fits. In this arrangement the outer wall portion 16 and part of the top wall portion 17, web and the webs bherebelow are exposed and 'a series of vertically-spaced openings or vents indicated at 53 and 54 are thus provided.

These vents serve to communicate the interiors of the hollow walls of the drawer with the outside atmosphere, and when fumes are formed inside those walls during the heating of the thermosetting plastic such fumes can escape without building up pressure within the hollow walls.

In FIG. 8 another arrangement is shown diagrammatically in which the side member 11 and the back member 12 are cut on about a 55 mitre and positioned so as to leave -a vent 55 of about inch width at the end of the member 11. In FIG. 9 still another arrangement is shown in which the side wall 11 is cut on a 45 beve'l, but with an abutting edge 56 against which the edge of back member 12 is fitted in contact. Likewise, the member 12 is provided with an abutting edge 57 fitting against the inner wall surface of member 11. In each of the modifications of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 the corner brace may :be employed if so desired.

As will be apparent, the above-described features of the extrusion from which the drawer is constructed cooperate with one another to produce a strongly reinforced final product. The corner-brace is reversible end for end and comprises a standard size which can be used on any corner of any size of drawer. The particular floor member and the accessories used in the drawer are conventional and as such do not in themselves form part of my invention.

Having thus described the invention and its attendant advantages, it is intended that the appended claims are to cover such changes and modifications of the described invention as come within the true spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A drawer comprising a pair of hollow side members, a hollow back member, and a hollow front member; each of said members having a uniform transverse cross-section and having ends formed to abut against complementary ends of adjacent members and to provide right-angle corners for the drawer, means for holding the abutting ends of said members in engagement with each other at said corners, said cross-section of said members including an inner wall portion, an outer wall portion, a top portion and a bottom portion, said top and bottom portions joining the respective inner and outer wall portions adjacent the upper and lower edges of the wall portions, an upper web joining said wall portions beneath said top portion and forming an upper space within said members, a lower Web joining said wall portions above said bottom portion and forming a lower space within said members, a recess in said inner wall portion facing the interior of said drawer and employing a part of the upper surface of said lower web as the lower face of said recess, and a floor member having its peripheral edge engaged within said recess and contacting the confronting surfaces of said recess.

2. A drawer as described in claim 1 wherein said upper and lower spaces have substantially identical cross-sections.

3. A drawer comprising a pair of hollow side members, a hollow back member, and a hollow front member, each of said members having a uniform transverse cross-section and having ends formed to abut against complementary ends of adjacent members and to provide right-angle corners for the drawer, a brace for holding the abutting ends of said members securely in engagement with each other and located in at least one of said corners, said crosssection of said members including an inner wall portion, an outer wall portion, a top portion and a bottom portion, said top and bottom portions joining the respective inner and outer wall portions adjacent the upper and lower edges of the wall portions, an upper web joining said wall portions beneath said top portion and forming an upper space within said members, a lower web joining said wall portions above said bottom portion and forming a lower space within said members; a recess in said inner wall portion facing the interior of said drawer, and a floor member having its peripheral edge engaged within said recess, said brace being of right-angle form and having legs extending normal to each other and adapted for retention in 3,282,635 5 6 4 either of the corresponding upper spaces or the corre- References Cited by the Examiner sponding lower spaces of abutting members. UNIT D P 4. A drawer as described in claim 3 and including vents E STATES ATENTS communicating the interior of said hollow members in 1,397,269 11/1921 Dodge the assembled drawer with the atmosphere. 5 25621290 7/1951 312 330 5. A drawer as described in claim 3 wherein the legs of 3,093,259 6/1963 Mormon 220 9 said brace have a cruciform cross-section including four side ribs adapted to contact the corresponding four inner CLAUDE LE Puma? Exammer' surfaces of the space into which said brace leg is inserted. CHANCELL R E. HARRIS, Examiner.

Disclaimer 3,282,635.L0uia E. Hz'melreich, Louisville, Ky. HOLLOW-WALL DRAW- ER. Patent dated Nov. 1, 1966. Disclaimer filed July 15, 1969, by the assignee, H. J. Schez'n'ch Company. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 3 of said patent.

[Oficial Gazette November 25, 1969.] 

1. A DRAWER COMPRISING A PAIR OF HOLLOW SIDE MEMBERS, A HOLLOW BACK MEMBER, AND A HOLLOW FRONT MEMBER; EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A UNIFORM TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION AND HAVING ENDS FORMED TO ABUT AGAINST COMPLEMENTARY ENDS OF ADJACENT MEMBERS AND TO PROVIDE RIGHT-ANGLE CORNERS FOR THE DRAWER, MEANS FOR HOLDING THE ABUTTING ENDS OF SAID MEMBERS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER AT SAID CORNERS, SAID CROSS-SECTION OF SAID MEMBERS INCLUDING AN INNER WALL PORTION, AN OUTER WALL PORTION, A TOP PORTION AND A BOTTOM PORTION, SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS JOINING THE RESPECTIVE INNER AND OUTER WALL PORTIONS ADJACENT THE UPPER AND LOWER EDGES OF THE WALL PORTIONS, AN UPPER WEB JOINING SAID WALL PORTIONS BENEATH SAID TOP PORTION AND FORMING AN UPPER SPACE WITHIN SAID MEMBERS, A LOWER WEB JOINING SAID WALL PORTIONS ABOVE SAID BOTTOM PORTION AND FORMING A LOWER SPACE WITHIN SAID MEMBERS, A RECESS IN SAID INNER WALL PORTION FACING THE INTERIOR OF SAID DRAWER AND EMPLOYING A PART OF THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID LOWER WEB AS THE LOWER FACE OF SAID RECESS, AND A FLOOR MEMBER HAVING ITS PERIPHERAL EDGE ENGAGED WITHIN SAID RECESS AND CONTACTING THE CONFRONTING SURFACES OF SAID RECESS. 